The wind rushed past, chilling her ears as people cheered. But junior cross country runner Kaylee Farino said it was hard to make out what they were saying during the WPIAL Championship cross country meet held. Oct. 27 at Coppers Lake in Slippery Rock. All she could think about was staying in front of the girl behind her and passing the one directly in front of her.

She managed to do it.

This is a common occurrence for junior Farino, 16, as she is a three-time state qualifier on both the Southmoreland girls varsity cross country and track teams.

“I really love running even though most people think that’s crazy,” said Farino. “And I know it’s because of that dedication that I get the opportunity to go to states every year.”

Farino placed eighth at this years WPIAL cross country meet in the AA division, competing in heavy rain and windy conditions that caused the course to become a quagmire at some places. Still, Farino finished in the top 10 and is heading to Hershey Nov. 3 for the state championship meet.

When Farino started running competitively two years ago, she didn’t know she would make it this far.

“It was really nerve wracking, and I was pretty slow compared to now,” said Farino of her first ever track meet more than two years ago. “But I ended up winning and was really excited.”

Farino follows a training schedule consisting of about 40 to 45 miles a week that she’s put together with the help of some of her past coaching influences. Among these is private running coach Sam Bair, who has a sub four-minute mile to his credit.

“I structure my own workouts and training, but my coaches have been very supportive and I am very grateful for it,” Farino said.

While Farino enjoys being a part of the track team, cross country is her favorite sport, and she hopes to further her cross country career after high school.

“I like the longer distances,” said Farino. “And we have a really tight-knit team, so I’m always sad when the season ends.”

Aside from her own athletic accomplishments, Farino’s older sister, Vayda, currently plays soccer for Carnegie Mellon University. The girls played soccer together for the majority of their lives, as well as running track and cross country together last year.

“There is always a lot of competition between them,” said Farino’s father, Bill. “It gets pretty heated sometimes, but Vayda is a better soccer player and Kaylee is a better distance runner, so they both have their thing.”